England vs India 2018, Tests: 3 reasons why India’s series defeat doesn’t come as a shock

India were riding high on confidence heading into this Test series. They were very convincing and competitive in the T20I series which they won 2-1, and they lost a closely fought ODI series 1-2.

And before this Test series under the Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri combination, this Indian team dominated oppositions like Sri Lanka and West Indies away from home, and they managed to give South Africa a run for their money.

This tour of England was significant for Virat Kohli- the batsman and skipper. Firstly, he wanted to put away the ghosts of the 2014 tour and deliver with the bat, and more importantly, he wanted to prove to the world that this Indian team can come to England and beat the hosts.

But things did not go as per plan for Kohli’s men. A combination of some high-quality Test match cricket played by England coupled with some lacklustre performances from India meant that the visitors had lost the five-match Test series 1-3 with a match still to be played.

In what was a competitive Test series, England only completely outplayed India at Lord’s where the pitch and the conditions suited their bowlers which they used rather well.

Apart from that, India should have won the first Test match at the Edgbaston and they indeed could have won the Southampton Test too as the target of 245 wasn’t insurmountable.

Keeping the result of the Test series in mind, let us have a look at three reasons why India’s Test defeat doesn’t come as a shock.

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#1 Emphasis on selection purely based on IPL performances backfired

KL Rahul was picked due to his good run in the IPL

It’s a known reality that performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have become the main benchmark for selecting players to represent India across all formats. These players may shine in ODIs and T20Is and against weaker oppositions in Test matches.

But, are they capable and competent enough to face off against this English bowling line-up in conditions that favour swing and seam? Well, the answer is a resounding NO. Playing and performing in the IPL is one thing, but expecting the same players to succeed in the Test match format is asking for too much.

Players like KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Rishabh Pant are classic examples of this move of the Indian team management backfiring. Granted, Hardik Pandya’s bowling has been very impressive and was one of the main reasons India won at Nottingham, but he hasn’t shown consistency post that.

Rishabh Pant has looked completely out of sorts with the gloves and his shot selection especially in the second innings at Southampton where all he had to do was to support Ajinkya Rahane speaks for itself.

It was a tough start for him as a wicket-keeper, something he will learn a lot from, but his batting speaks volumes about the gaps in his technique when he's playing Test cricket.

When the challenge ahead is clearly visible, and India knew that they had to put their best foot forward to beat England, their insistence on going ahead with KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan and sending Murali Vijay back home after two poor games plays into England’s hands.

One can’t completely blame the likes of Rahul, Pandya and Pant but the thought process behind their selection must be questioned. It is this reason which makes India’s series defeat not too surprising in the end, as you need players with Test match quality to hold their own against England on their home turf, but these players don’t seem to be there skill-wise or temperament wise yet.

#2 India’s dubious selections throughout the series

The exclusion of Jadeja is indeed baffling

India, one must say have played a part in their downfall in this test series against England. With Murali Vijay being the highest run-scorer for India in their 2014 tour of England, one expected the current team management to persist with a player of his caliber to come good.

However, after two test matches, to be frank, Murali Vijay looked utterly out of sorts, he was sent home- which certainly doesn’t help his confidence. And the persistent backing of players like KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan, when neither batsmen have added much value is baffling.

Apart from India’s openers which is a significant cause for concern is probably the strength and depth of their middle order. With the likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara not at their fluent best and with Hardik Pandya coming in at number 6, shouldn’t India have played Karun Nair? He is after all selected in the squad as a specialist batsman. He could have provided the much-needed stability which this middle order has lacked.

The continuous backing of Hardik Pandya and the snub given to Ravindra Jadeja is another point of debate. What was baffling being on the back of a fantastic ODI and T20I series, Kuldeep Yadav getting the nod ahead of Ravindra Jadeja? That dubious selection misfired. Virat Kohli’s instinctive selection style is not really reaping rich dividends in this series.

So, although India have fought hard, shown good resolve and technique, they have let themselves down by not picking the right playing X1 for a game, and that is why the series outcome is not that shocking.

#3 India missed the services of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the 'All-rounder'

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The positive development of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the past few years is pretty evident for everyone to see. He has become the bowling spearhead for India across all formats.

He always had the ability to swing the ball both ways and would have been a handful in English conditions if he was fit to play. More than the swing, India missed two qualities of Bhuneshwar Kumar the most in this test series- his ability to get the reverse swing and finish off the tail quickly and his improved batting skills.

India have faltered on many occasions to close out innings quickly after being in commanding positions. Sam Curran has single-handedly won games with his bat twice in the series. If Bhuvi was in the team, along with Jasprit Bumrah they could have dismissed England earlier and would have been still alive in the series.

Also, in recent times Bhuvneshwar Kumar has tightened his technique and is more than handy with the bat. He puts a lot of value for his wicket and importantly stays at the crease for long periods. This is something India couldn't manage to do right through the test series.

Apart from Ravichandran Ashwin, nobody in the tail has been able to stay at the crease long enough. It is imperative that every batsman bats out as many balls as possible and supports the set batsmen at the other end.

India sorely missed Bhuvi – the all-rounder in this test series. If he were fit to play, his impact on the team's performance would have been similar to what Sam Curran's has been for England.